Meeting with a Chinese manufacturer of chemical additives

03.05.2023

ZAG was visited by the representatives of the Chinese manufacturer of chemical additives for concrete Shijiazhuang Chang´An YuCai Building Materials Ltd (hereafter KG). We hosted dr. Serina Ng and Dr. Mirko Gruber.

Dr Serina Ng completed her undergraduate studies in Chemistry and Life Science at the National University of Singapore, and completed her postgraduate studies in Construction Chemistry at TU München with the doctoral dissertation “Interactions of Polycarboxylate based Superplasticizers with Montmorillonite Clay in Portland Cement and with Calcium Aluminate Cement”. She continued her scientific career at the SINTEF Building and Infrastructure Institute in Troindheim, Norway. She currently holds the position of Deputy General Manager for Research and Development of KG, which operates in Shijiazhuang, China, and is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of chemical additives.

Dr Mirko Gruber studied construction chemistry at TU München, where he received the Wissenschafts-Medaille der Deutschen Bauchemie for his doctoral work in the field of synthesis of PCE molecules suitable for cement dispersion in UHPC concretes, the only German award in the field of construction chemistry.

The visit took place in two parts: a short workshop with three lectures and a visit to laboratories and individual meetings with ZAG employees.

The meeting, which was also attended by invited representatives of concrete laboratories, contractors, engineers and investors, was opened by Aljoša Šajna, head of the Laboratory for Concrete. Then Ana Brunčič presented a lecture entitled “Rheological characterization of cementitious materials: oscillatory tests and viscoelasticity”. This was followed by longer lectures by Serina Ng and Mirko Gruber, who after the introductory presentation of the company KG and its products shared interesting experiences with specific technical challenges in the field of concrete and chemical additives and presented some high-profile examples of the use of chemical additives in the construction of tunnels and roads. After the lectures, a short professional discussion took place.

In the second part of the visit, the guests visited some laboratories, got acquainted with the research equipment and engaged in professional debates with some ZAG researchers. We also devoted part of the time to discussing the possibilities of certification and importing their products into the EU.

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